Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-04-29
sAXE's LIFE IN ALBANY.
Some Reminiscences-HisL Last Sad Years
His Fondness for the Newspaper ONCE.


His Fondness for the Newspaper ONCE.
correspondence of the Boston Post.1
The story of the late John G.. Saxe's
bereavement is now well known; how
first he received an injury in fearful
railroad accident, which bent his form,
broke his spirit; how death claimed first
two lovely daughters, Laura and Sarah,
then the wife he dearly loved and lastly
his youngest daughter, Hattie, and an
older son. All these calamities came in
quick succession. He resolved after the
first three Affections to maintain his charm
| ing home in Brooklyn, but after the death
of Miss Hattie his heart broke. YEARLY
he turned toward Albany, his former
home, and to that of his oldest son, John
| Theodore. Scarcely a month after, John,
too, went the way tie others had gone.
Thus had a daughter, son and sons
wife all LETT the old man within the space
of two short months. Can anyone won
der, then, that after these crushing afiiic-
tions the beautiful locks which crowned
his head had turned white, and that he
became sad eyed, broken Old man when
he made his home with his only remain.
ing child, Charles G. SAKE. This was in
1881. Fortwo years he tried bravely to
| bear up against the tide of trouble. He
walked in the park. He watched the
children at play. He read the newspa-
pers. He talked with his sons family A
bright young man was secured for com.
panion, and he endeavored to forget. But
he could not. The struggle was "a vain
one Then in 1882 he gave 1t up. After
that he seal cely left his house. No friends
or intimates were allowed to see him. He
sat in his pleasant room, over looking the
noble Hudson, and for days gazed out up
on it in deep and sad meditation
In the old days, when SAKE was young
err, and before death had robbed him of
his beautiful family, he and the late Will
lam Cassidy were intimate friends. J.
most as many men knew William Cassi-
dy as knew SAKE. "Will' Cassidy was
one of the most efficient editors the Argus
ever had Many hours have Cassidy and
SAKE spent together in The editorial rooms
of the Argus. A great reader he would,
when he called during the busy hours,
pick up book or novel which he found
in the rooms and soon become lost in it,
totally oblivious to the surrounding con
fusion and apparent rush of newspaper
editorial department. He often sat with
his feet cooked up on one of the reporters
tables, comfortably fitted into reporters
chair, and perhaps smoking reporters
pipe, reading novel until away along
into the wee sma hours" Indeed, these
notes are written on the same desk he is
said to have cooked his feet upon. He
]
cisms and reviews for the papers, and a
son of William Cassidy, who was a small
| boy then, tells Inc Of the way he used tC
come into the editorial rooms.
He roamed in, said good day to the men
| now famous, who were then reporters
among them Daniel Manning, John Hen
| ley Farrell, and others, hunted around
until he found a book he thought he
would like and then buried himself in it,
/ Casually Mr.. Manning or Cassidy would
ask him II he would not write a review
for the paper. Sake, won't you write
that book up for us9 We haven't had
time yet, some one would say. well,
don't know yes, | guess 3d." he would
reply, and go on reading. Presently falling
upon u passage that pleased him. he would
start up, button up his coat, and, showing
! the book into his velveteen jacket Ga sty lie
of coat of which he always was very
fond, would say 81 guess I'll carry this
away with me- That was the last ever
seen Of that book. But, in day or two
in came the criticism.
Sake was very fond of Saratoga. He
always spent his summers there, and
much of his best poetry was written there
He never tired of talking when he had an
interesting subject and good listeners
Often he spent many evening hour:
around some convival fireside talking
till the approach of daylight. In his room
he had a small portrait of Tom Hood
gwen to him by the poets son. He loveC
Tom Hood and was wont to gaze will
iHdescribables sadness upon the LITTLE
picture, making the single pathetic re
mark, Il wonder if Hood suffered as
suffer now ?" w. a. =.